Illinois 02/07/14 Will County: by Robert Themer – The first case of chronic wasting disease in a deer in Will County was reported Thursday — the result of testing of a deer killed in the Kankakee Sands Preserve between Braidwood and Wilmington. The deer was killed Dec. 10 in the culling program by the Forest Preserve District of Will County to control population density at the preserve. As a result of the CWD confirmation, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources has requested culling an additional 20 deer from Kankakee Sands and adjacent preserves south of Illinois Route 113 and west of the Kankakee River, the FPD announced. DNR also will be culling deer on property it owns at the adjacent Wilmington Shrub Prairie. Its policy when confirming CWD is to remove more deer from the area to maintain deer herd health and reduce the spread of the degenerative neural disease.

Will County

If additional deer test positive, their meat will be disposed of. If they test negative, the carcasses will be sent to a processor and the meat donated to a food bank, as is done with other culled deer. DNR will pay for processing or disposal, according to Marcy DeMauro, the forest district executive director. DNR’s request for additional deer culling in the Kankakee Sands region will be considered at the Feb. 13 Forest Preserve Board meeting. The forest district’s winter culling plan called for reduction of the Kankakee Sands deer herd by 21. District biologists estimate that DNR’s decision to cull 20 more will result in a population of about 23 deer per square mile in the Sands area, which would meet the district plan of maintaining a range of 20-30 deer per square mile. – For complete article see http://www.daily-journal.com/sports/outdoors/cwd-confirmed-in-will-county-deer/article_64696c9b-8837-5273-8bba-8b0d62fd2105.html

Massachusetts 02/07/14 Plymouth County: A raccoon that attacked a 73-year-old Hingham woman in her bed Wednesday morning has tested positive for rabies. The raccoon entered the house through a cat door and the woman reached out to pet it thinking it was her cat. It later took ten stitches to close a laceration on her lip and puncture wounds on several fingers. Emergency personnel who responded to the incident are also being evaluated for potential exposure. – See http://hingham.wickedlocal.com/article/20140207/NEWS/140207207

Jerry Genesio

Author of "UNSEEN HAZARDS That Threaten Hunters, Campers, and Hikers: What you should know about pathogens commonly found in wildlife."

This is where wildlife and healthcare professionals, hunters, campers, hikers, anglers, and other outdoor enthusiasts will find interesting information about natural unseen hazards that place them at risk. As my book focused exclusively on Rabies, Tetanus (Lockjaw), Tularemia (Rabbit Fever), Brucellosis (Undulant Fever), Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and Borrelia (Lyme Disease), posts regarding these six diseases will be limited to more recent developments and items of interest that were not included or were not available when the book was published in June of 2009. Topics will also include Chronic Wasting Disease, West Nile Virus, Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, and other diseases of particular interest to those who work and play in the great American outdoors.

Don’t Be Afraid – Be Aware!

The Natural Unseen Hazards blog is available to all free of charge and is maintained as a public service.

If you have questions related to pathogens commonly found in wildlife, e.g. the disease caused by a specific pathogen, hosts, vectors, symptoms, treatment, territorial range, etc., please comment here or e-mail to jerrygenesio@gmail.com and I will attempt to provide answers.

"Chance favors the prepared mind."
Louis Pasteur

Unless otherwise noted, images have been provided by the CDC Public Health Image Library, Wikimedia Commons, the National Park Service or other government agencies, Bing.com, and/or Google.com.

"Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less."
Marie Curie

"It's better to look ahead and prepare, than to look back and regret."
Jackie Joyner Kersee